DARKEST RUSSIA?

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6493, 13 April 1908, Page 6

DARKEST RUSSIA?

SOMETHING FOR NEW ZEALAND, RUSSIAN IDEALS WORTH COPYING. INTERVIEW WITH PROFESSOR SVIATLOWSKY.

The Russian savant who is at present in Wellington, commissioned by lis Government to inquire into the methods of arbitration and conciliation followed throiighout the world, is every inch, a Russian. Rather short of stature, tliickly built, fair, and heavy featured, ho is entirely a Slav.

TRADES UNIONS RECOGNISED. Professor Vladimir V. de Sviatlowsky occupies the obair of political economy at the Imperial University of St. Petersburg, which in something over one hundred years ot existence has equipped more than twelve thousand ur-.idm.tes for the activities of higher life in Russia. Some years ago, when Russia was in tile throes ef that e-oiKnuic struggle which synchronised with the eastern war, Professor Sviatlewsky made a report to tho Imperial Government—this was before the days of parliamentary government—on the organisation of labour. The result, as he modestly narrated to a representative of the “Now Zealand Times,''' was embodied in the Imporia.l decree of the early part of 1906 on trades unionism. This law- did not assist trades unions, hut it for the first time recognised them and gave them legal status. Trades unionism has thrived tremendously under the decree of 1906, and to-day there are 400,000 organised workmen in Russia, of whom 60,000 are in St. Petersburg and 45,000 in Moscow. There are [OO unions in tho country. Tho chief strength of trades unionism is- amongst tho shop assistants, the printers, tailors, shoemakers, carpenters, etc. THE WORKERS’ LOT.

The result of tho movement, tho professor states, is an increase of wages, and, in man}' of the blades, the reduction of tho hours of work to eight per day Both tho printers and the masons and bricklayers havo an eightHours day, and thi. reduction of tho Satin day hours to six is fairly general Trades unionism in Russia has, of ccmse, given ri>e t*> the organisation of the employers, who have unions in many trades, notably cotton and ironworking. Their reply to the strike is the Ijckrnt, and the. struggle between the two classes Is very strong. Professor Snatlowsky would not comma himself to saying that tho i©cognition of trades unionism had much improved tho lot of the worker. Of course, under the old law of Russia, organfaction in 'this manner was a punishable offence, and the punishment was by no means light. The law of 1900 recognises the trades union as a legal combination, hut it has been considerably modified ly the Cabiuet of Ministers; in the first ‘place and the States Council (the Upper House of the Ihima) in tho second, and it is not so liberal as was intended. ■ A .CONSERVATIVE DUMA.

Parliamentary meroranier. fc through the Duma has introduced a new element into Russian economic politics, and (lie more demconiic chamber at present shows signs, tho professor stales, ci i a. conservatism which is somewhat unexpected. The first two Dumas were elected on. a franchise somewhat similar to. that of Prussia, and were quite democratic in character. The ■ franchise has since, however, been restricted, and the present (the third) Duma, elected by large proprietors, landlords, house. owners, and merchants, is distinctly conservative. In fact, Professor Sviatlovsky states that tho Duma to-day is more conservative than the Government ' itself. There is a conflict between the Duma and the Government, and as tho personnel of the Government has been somewhat changed since the more liberal days, the advance of labour may be said to bo at a halt.

DUMA DESIRES ITS OWN ABOLITION.

“The question just now,” said the Professor, “is the navy. The Government wishes to have new battleships, but tho majority of the Duma is against that,- and so there is a conflict, and there is the possibility of tho Government proroguing the Duma and returning to the old condition without the Duma. There is a danger of returning to the old system. They would like to see this Duma prorogued, and after that a return to tho old system.” “You don’t mean to say that there is a majoi ity of the present Duma in favour of returning to the old system?” “Yes, they are very conservative now. They have tried to return to the old system before the first Duma, as regards labour lews, but that is quite impossible. The law of 1906 remains.” PARLIAMENTARY GOVERNMENT BY POLICE. As for the system of parliamentary government, Professor Sviatlowshy gave the impression that he was no r t vory hopeful of future prospects under present conditions. Even tho last election of a Duma, the third that Russia has experienced, was a very bad one, and was only carried out with the help of ihe police and government officials.

“We have had the same thing before in European history,” he remarked. /‘lt was th© sanio in Fnnce, when a revolutionist who was elected with th© help of the people and parliament l*ecnme more Rc.yalist than the King himself. W© have the same position in Russia to-day. It is very difficult for the Government, though M. Stolypin is an able and energetic man and a good speaker. One of the first thlngj in his programme is directed against village communities. He would like to convert the system of riHagP communities into private propony, but '.hat nouid bo a very diflieul. thing to do ’’

COXSIjKVATV e mixers,

To-dny almost nil of ifie u.<Hes of Rr.s-ia are organised with the exception of some which are peculiarly surrounded with an air of conservatism. The mining laborers, for instance, have no trade union organisation, but they have—dating from a very early per.od—their brotherhood end fnendly society organisations. The reason for the conservatism of the mining la bourers • is the fact that the Government owes many mines, and th© employees are not only well paid, but

they generally have a small piooo of land given to thorn by the Government, | which also affords assistance ; n tho : erection of the small houses which are : owned by tho minors themselves. j ■RUSSIA LEAR'S NEW ZEALAND. Hero is tho signifbanoe o. trades unionism in Russia. "Each trades union in Russia tries to have a library,, and evening schools and Sunday' schools. - These are generally organised by trades conniils. Then he trade magazine is a feature of the movement in Russia Each if the more important trades has a small jornv.il. Ihe carpenters, the printers, etc., all have their weekly magazines. Altogether there are twenty-one of these journals in Russia. The first of them was started by the trades councils in UOii as the organ of trades unions generally. It was called ‘Professionally Sons,’ and I was the redactaur.” In fact, Piofoss ir Sviallov. sky is still oliuir cf this harbinger of workers’ journals in Russia. It was largely subsidised by him in the beginning. In, Russia the irtelligont section of tlio' con nninity—that is the educated, the’ lawyers, physicians, professors, etc.— help the working class with medical and legal advice and education. Tiiisi is done without remuneration, os ai kind of public service. Tho univer-' sity students, also, are tho first friends of the workmen.

Another activity of -he trades movement in Russia is th' dissemination of literature regarding tho condition of the workers in other countries. Groat interest is manifested by the working people of Russia in Now’ Zealand, and amongst the books that have been translated from tho English and Geiman into Russian re those by the Hon. W. P. Reeves, P-ofeasor Victor Clark, Mr Henry Demurest Lloyd, M. . Vigoureau, M. Metin, and M, Andre Seigfried. Professor Sviatlowsky himself has published in Russian a work on the trades union movement which refers largely to New Zealand. It is now in its third edition. DISAPPOINTED IN AMERICA. Questioned os to his impressions during liif> visit to Canad and tho United States, Professor Sviatlowsky said: “My impression of .-ie organisation of workmen there is not very nice. Technically their organisation is very good, but tho spirit of American labour Oiganisatic.n is not very high, there is too much of tL politician, too much ‘business’ in the unions. The loaders of tho unions tij all tho different secret agreements end ‘business' with tho capitalists. American conditions are not what they ought to be. In Europe tho movement must bo more idealistic, not such a poor business movement. This is exclusive of the Western Miners’ Federation at Denver, which is a very nice organisation,”